A Springfield, Illinois man, Derrick Bailey, has been sentenced to 180 months in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy linked to the street gang Boss Playas. Senior U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough also ordered that Bailey serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The conspiracy was active from May 2020 through November 2020.
During the sentencing hearing, it was established that Bailey trafficked over 10 kilograms of cocaine as part of the operation. Judge Myerscough highlighted the detrimental impact the group's activities had on the Springfield community due to their distribution of significant quantities of controlled substances.
Several co-defendants received varying sentences: Denziel Witherspoon was sentenced to 240 months, James Cooper to 180 months, Christopher Wallace and Isadore Montgomery each received 120 months, Rashaud Brown got 84 months, Paul Davis was sentenced to 40 months, and Taylor Cockrell received a sentence of 36 months. Additional defendants Dorothy Jackson, Shelton Witherspoon, Lavar Maney, Haley Riley, and Haylee Vaughn have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing.
Bailey was indicted on December 15, 2020, pleaded guilty on September 18, 2024, and has been held by the United States Marshal since his arrest on December 1, 2020.
The statutory penalties for Bailey's most serious charge could have included life imprisonment or a fine up to $20 million along with a potential life term of supervised release.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Field Office; Illinois State Police; and Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation targeting high-level criminal networks such as drug traffickers and gangs like Boss Playas. The OCDETF initiative employs a multi-agency approach combining federal, state, and local resources to dismantle these organizations effectively.
For more details about OCDETF's efforts visit https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
